Kansai Japanese by Peter Tse

Author:Peter Tse
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0-8048-1868-1
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

5

ŌSAKA STYLE

In Ōsaka there is a traditional way of talking called Naniwa kotoba. Naniwa was Ōsaka’s name long ago. This style of talking is fairly common among middle-aged and older people, but most young people seem to favor a more standard Kansai Japanese. Naniwa kotoba has much in common with the traditional Kyōto way of talking, such as -yasu and -haru endings, but is less refined. Although you probably wouldn’t want to use Naniwa kotoba yourself, learning the basics will help you understand gangster and samurai movies, Ōsaka radio and TV, conversations with older people, or the infamous manzai, Ōsaka’s mile-a-minute comic dialogues. You can hear a radio talk show in strong Ōsaka Japanese in the mornings throughout central Kansai on Mainichi Hoso, 1179 on the AM dial. A line or two of Naniwa kotoba thrown into a conversation at the right time is guaranteed to get some laughs.

In Ōsaka, -su is often omitted from verbs. Thus, desu na becomes denna, and desu ka becomes dekka.

w: Atsui denna.

e: Atsui desu ne.

Hot, isn’t it.

w: Ē o-tenki denna.

e: Ii o-tenki desu ne.

Beautiful weather, isn’t it.

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